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Design LED, founded in 2004, is a global leader in the field of LED light-guide technology and have created a unique lighting solution in the form of low weight, flexible light tiles. Light tiles are made up of integrated LEDs that form extremely thin, energy efficient, transparent panels that are modular and allow users to direct light exactly where they want it.

Challenge
In 2014 Design LED approached the Intelligent Lighting Centre at the Technology and Innovation Centre, part of the University of Strathclyde, with the aim of bringing together a small group of SMEs and academics to develop their core technology and provide an inorganic LED device technology platform which would use half the energy consumption and run at half the cost of current retail and consumer lighting. The technology involved the combination of existing Design LED technology with next generation and emerging LED devices, to enable thin, flat, flexible and uniform, sheets of light, which are highly reliable, low cost, energy efficient and highly desirable by end users.

The Intelligent Lighting Centre has established connections in the lighting technology development community and was able to identify a number of potential European partners that would be able to support Design LED’s aims and objectives.

It was decided that a more efficient means of meeting multiple prospective project partners was by attending the major industry exhibition, Light+Building, and conducting meetings there and nearby. 

The academic team were made aware of new funding streams that were specifically designed to help businesses build relationships in Europe and approached Interface for more information.

Solution
Interface was able to identify the Horizon 2020 SME Engagement Voucher as a viable funding solution which would cover the cost of engaging with potential partners in Europe. 

This funding programme is the first step of the European Funding journey; designed to support Scottish SMEs explore opportunities, with the help of Scottish Higher Education Institutes, and assist them in forming collaborative partnerships to strengthening their applications for Horizon 2020 European Funding, a €70 billion European funding programme which supports research and innovation in Europe.

Dr James Gourlay, Technical Director at Design LED said, “Applying for H2020 SME Engagement Funding could not have been easier. The academic from the Intelligent Lighting Centre, Janet Milne, is an expert in the field and took the time to meet me and understand our aims and objectives.  Janet took the lead on completing the application form, she dealt with the legal contracts including the confidentiality and intellectual property agreements and, apart from providing our company details, there was nothing for me to fill in.

“They kept me informed and involved throughout the process, providing me with a final report at the end of the project which led to an application for H2020 European Funding.  As a result of the project we have built very strong relationships with our European partners and will continue to work with them.  All in all this has been yet another excellent experience of working with academia and will be extremely beneficial to the expansion of the company.”

Outcomes
Thanks to the successful application of funding, four Design LED Products personnel representing senior management, technical, operations and product marketing were able to attend the Light+Building event in Frankfurt allowing them to meet with a number of potential project partners.

This proved to be highly successful with the objectives of the original project proposal being exceeded and three Horizon 2020 European Funding applications being submitted.

For more information on Design LED visit www.designledproducts.com

The Company

Bright Red Publishing is a multi-award winning independent publishing company which develops and produces high quality Study Guides for the new National 4, National 5, CfE Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications.  They collaborated with Edinburgh Napier University to create a unique on-line Digital Zone (www.brightredbooks.net) to further support students and teachers during a time of immense educational change in Scotland.

The Business Challenge

The company, wanting to produce the very best resources for Scottish students, was looking to support their publishing plans with on-line support across a number of subjects.  Although the company had the expertise to create and tailor the very best possible content, they did not have the experience to develop the digital strategy required to fully capitalise on the work they had done. 

The Solution

Bright Red Publishing approached Business Gateway, who referred them on to Interface.  After working with Bright Red to develop their initial brief, Interface put out an enquiry, searching through all of Scotland’s universities to find the right expertise.  Reviewing the resulting proposals from the universities, Bright Red felt that Edinburgh Napier University and, in particular, Professor Bill Buchanan, had the extensive expertise and support to get their digital project off the ground.  The collaboration was supported by a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher, providing £5,000 to cover the cost of Professor Buchanan’s time.    

According to John MacPherson, Director of Bright Red Publishing

“Working with Interface has been a brilliant experience for Bright Red.  We have been able to access some amazing expertise and really step up our digital plans.  The creation of the Digital Zone has proved a game changer for our business and paves the way to a lot of exciting new developments.” 

The original aim of the project was to create a prototype interactive testing system.  The tests were to be developed in one subject area initially (Physics), to support the new qualifications being introduced in Scottish schools in 2013.

The project, supported by the Innovation Voucher, achieved this and delivered much more besides including:

Follow-On Activity

Building on the success of their original collaboration, Bright Red Publishing and Edinburgh Napier University applied for, and received a Follow-On Innovation Voucher for £20k, which the company matched in cash. 

The key challenge for the follow-on project was to scale-up the integration of fun elements and challenging on-line materials from within the area of Physics to a wider range of subject areas for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher grade books, creating innovative web-based materials to reinforce textbook learning.

The ground breaking Digital Zone currently offers a broad range of on-line supporting resources to students approaching their National 5 and CfE Higher qualifications.  The content, links, videos and games integrate completely with Bright Red’s best-selling Study Guides and the pioneering on-line tests allow students to check their progress and identify problem areas.  This is an absolute first for S4 and S5 students approaching these all new qualifications.

A key part of the innovation was the development of a website which aims to reinforce teaching-focused learning, but also provide new ways of supporting student learning. The infrastructure created scales across all the books, from Maths and Computing Science to English and French, in a consistent way. The site integrates key features for each subject, such as the range of calculators for Maths and language translators for French. 

The Benefits:

Company

This project proved to be very successful.  In terms of technical innovation, the approach offered by the digital test materials offered a distinct competitive advantage to the company in the market space in which it operates. The web-based materials offer a flexible, fully user-friendly and engaging product for both students and teachers. No other provider in this market offers in depth interactive tests designed specifically for the Scottish curriculum, which are both fun and educational with full explanations associated to each answer. The digital materials also provide adaptable support and guidance for both students and teachers dealing with brand new qualifications, during a period of great change and upheaval in the Scottish education system.

The Digital Zone (www.brightredbooks.net/subjects) has now sold over one million books, has more than 100,000 registered users and has had over two and a half million tests taken. Feedback from both students and teachers has been excellent.

John MacPherson, Director of Bright Red Publishing said:

“Collaborating with Professor Buchanan on this project has been incredibly exciting.  To enhance our printed content through the Digital Zone in the way we have has had a great effect on our business.  It has also opened our eyes to many more ideas and opportunities than we might not have considered before.” 

University

The benefits to Edinburgh Napier University were the further developments of its excellent portfolio of research and industrial expertise in building the novel software architectures related to testing for educational purposes.

According to Professor Bill Buchanan:

“The impact has been massive, especially as it properly supports our children in new methods of learning, while still keeping a focus on printed material, and in integrating teacher-led approaches. Everything we learned from the project has now fed back into creating enhanced teaching environments for undergraduate and postgraduate modules. Basically it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which Bright Red and the University took full advantage of. To think that we help to support our children’s education, every minute of the day, is an impact that few could dream of.

“We are so proud to have worked with such an innovative and forward looking company, who significantly contributed to Scottish society, and who will have an increasing role. Seldom have I seen such amazing vision from a company, and for one who have delivered so perfectly from every single angle. For me, I’ve learnt so much, while it has also been an opportunity to put in-place academic developments which fully support a child’s education, in an on-line environment.

“For an academic team to have the opportunity to help in the foundation education for our children is a unique opportunity, which can only bring benefits to all in our country. Many new projects have spun-off from the original project, including with us leading on an EU project which creates an engaging educational environment within Cyber Security.”

Scottish Economy

By fully developing this new business strand, the company has increased revenue and been able to offer employment opportunities.  In 2014 they recruited a Sales and Marketing Consultant to implement their new digital marketing strategy and also a Publishing Assistant to work closely with Edinburgh Napier on the on-line materials.  Initial expectation in the Follow On Voucher application was for sales of Bright Red Guides to increase from £190k in 2012/13, to £300k in 2013/14 and £500k in 2014/15.  The driving presence and popularity of the Digital Zone meant that in 2013/14, revenue leapt straight to £500k and is well on target to better that figure in 2014/15.

In a broader sense, the development of the Digital Zone represents the start of an integrated print and digital offering from Bright Red that will continue for many years to come.  The company have committed to an ongoing consultancy contract with Edinburgh Napier University and hopes to work with Professor Buchanan on other future projects.  In 2017 Bright Red Publishing announced further development to the Digital Zone to incorporate GOAL (Game Of Active Learning) which is being designed in collaboration with Professor Buchanan funded through a Scottish Enterprise SMART award. 

The project has allowed Bright Red Publishing, a wholly independent Scottish company, to compete in their market on an equal footing with rivals based outside Scotland.  Once they have developed this product further, it will be easily adapted for use overseas, particularly in markets such as India, China and Africa where the Scottish Qualifications Authority is a growing presence. This will require a greater staff resource and lead to an increase in export revenue.

MacPherson concludes:

“There can be little doubt that the opportunities arising from this collaboration are many.  We feel that our work with Professor Buchanan at Edinburgh Napier has really propelled Bright Red into a different space, and has great potential to launch our brand and product well beyond the Scottish border.” 

For more information on Bright Red please visit SMEs Rule! – A Case Study in Enterprise and Innovation – a blog by Prof Bill Buchanan, Edinburgh Napier University.

Please note that Interface administers the Innovation Voucher Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. All funding applications are reviewed on a case by case basis by the Scottish Funding Council, guidelines can be found here.

he Company

StudioLR is an award-winning design agency based in Leith, Edinburgh.

The Business Challenge

Dissatisfied with existing ‘way-finding’ products for dementia, and sensing an opportunity for a fresh and novel approach, the company wanted to access Scotland’s academic expertise to use the latest research to inform their design, ensuring an effective, as well as an attractive, finished product.

The Solution

After meeting at an industry event, Interface was able to identify extensive research expertise in the care of people with dementia at the universities of Edinburgh and Stirling, and introduced both universities to StudioLR.  After discussions with both universities, it was agreed that a collaborative approach to the project would be the best solution to provide the company with access to the most wide-ranging expertise.  A Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher, administered by Interface, was awarded to support this project.

Benefits

As a result of this successful business-academic collaboration, StudioLR developed a set of design guidelines for creating consistent signage to increase independence and wellbeing for older people and dementia patients in care homes, hospitals or other related environments.  Lucy Richards, Creative Director at StudioLR, said: 

“The collaborative process we have experienced working together with the universities of Edinburgh and Stirling on the Innovation Voucher has been both stimulating and fruitful, with exciting new thinking emerging throughout the process.  As the project builds in momentum, our purpose has become clearer and more worthwhile.”

Follow-on Activity

Following further brokerage services from Interface, StudioLR have been accepted into The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) Doctoral Internship programme, which matches doctoral researchers with industry partners. The company are keen to establish research in the area of “impact and consequences of the use of complex language in everyday settings”, particularly in the Care system and across public services, i.e. in hospital and clinical settings.

The outputs from the researcher will be a report outlining key findings and recommendations on the unintended consequences and negative impact of the use of this language.

Please note that Interface administers the Innovation Voucher Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. All funding applications are reviewed on a case by case basis by the Scottish Funding Council, guidelines can be found here.

As the internationally recognised governing body for cycle sport in Scotland, Scottish Cycling is the gateway to cycle sport for people in Scotland, with the aim of developing the sport at every level. 

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) is a project based within Scottish Cycling which is delivering the world’s first national strategy for mountain biking. The project has an overarching strategic remit to increase participation, grow tourism and develop the sport of mountain biking.

Challenge

DMBinS wanted to develop a new and innovative interactive DVD of Scottish mountain biking trails to use as a prototype product to both attract external sponsorship, and develop a full-length consumer DVD. 

Sporting Chance Initiative referred DMBinS to Interface – the knowledge connection for business – to find out what external support was available to help develop the idea. 

Solution

Interface facilitated a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) which led to DMBinS working with a team of academics and graduates to develop a business plan and prototype DVD to engage current and aspirational mountain bikers.  The project was awarded a £5,000 Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher.

By working with the eMotionLab at GCU – a world leader in the development and evaluation of emotionally engaging technology – DMBinS was able to utilise the lab‘s processes to ensure user engagement, and develop user-evaluation facilities which would explore the emotional engagement of products. 

The idea of the interactive DVD was developed with the output being made into an App so that it could be distributed digitally. 

Benefits

DMBinS is working with partners in both the public and private sector to to complete the development of the App. The App, based on the original project, features trails across Scotland and was available in the App Store in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which mountain biking is a key event.

“We are grateful to Interface for connecting us with Glasgow Caledonian University.  It resulted in an excellent collaboration, and we now have a prototype which we can use to help attract further investment  and ultimately add value to the Scottish economy by increasing the number of visitors to Scotland to enjoy our fantastic mountain biking,” said Graeme McLean, Project Manager of DMBinS.

Please note that Interface administers the Innovation Voucher Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. All funding applications are reviewed on a case by case basis by the Scottish Funding Council, guidelines can be found here.​

Lightbody is the UK’s leading supplier of celebration cakes to UK multiples grocery shops and supermarkets.

Based in Hamilton Lightbody employ 1,200 people, the business has two cake bakeries plus a European Sales and Marketing operation based in Rennes, France.

For over a hundred years, the company had their own chain of shops, but as the influence of the big supermarkets increased on the high street, they focused on manufacturing high value baked products to supply the retail outlets.

The Business Challenge
Each year 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink is wasted in the UK, of which nearly 800,000 tonnes is bakery waste. Variations in basic ingredients, due to seasonal conditions, and in the production process, due to environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, etc, can result in inconsistencies in product quality and shelf life.  

The company were looking for a more quantitative metric to determine the quality and longevity of their baked goods to specifically:  

The Solution
Interface – The knowledge connection for business matched Lightbody to Strathclyde University who were able to suggest Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) as a solution. HSI cameras produce large volumes of complex data which require specialist analysis to measure the specific properties of the baked products. The University of Strathclyde’s Hyperspectral Imaging Centre is the first of its kind in the UK and was able to provide the expertise required by the company.

According to Ian Chree, Site Director, “We have built up a strong working relationship with Strathclyde University due to their wide range of expertise, enthusiasm and speed of response.”

In a previous feasibility project, Lightbody provided two different sponge cakes to Strathclyde for HSI. Initial results were positive, indicating that HSI technology could be used to quantify moisture content as well as other properties of the cakes. Due to the results, the company wanted to take this study to the next level.

With the support of Interface Food & Drink and funded through a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher, the project used HSI to analyse two varieties of Lightbody sponges over a period of 40 days to assess the quality and longevity of these cakes. At the conclusion of the test, the HSI data was processed and the results were found to accurately match the results found by a taste panel.

Partnership Benefits
Use of Hyperspectral Imaging will reduce supermarket in-store wastage by quantifying the eating quality performance of sponge over its shelf life and increasing the overall life of the product. This complies directly with Lightbody’s strategy to minimise costs and expenditure through waste. Reduced supermarket waste will improve the cost efficiency of the manufacturing process through fewer production runs and lead to increased profits.

Lightbody plan to use this unique technology directly on the production line helping to produce greater consistency in its products, reduce waste and increase profits. The project has also allowed Lightbody to develop products with an even greater shelf life which is helping to attract overseas markets and increase the companies export potential.

“It has been a rewarding experience seeing our research applied in a real application. This work allows Lightbody to refine their processes in order to increase shelf life and improve consistency. A longer shelf life lets the company export into markets which are further afield.” Professor Stephen Marshall, Dept of Electronic and Electrical engineering, University of Strathclyde.

Please note that Interface administers the Innovation Voucher Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. All funding applications are reviewed on a case by case basis by the Scottish Funding Council, guidelines can be found here.

Nairn’s wanted to investigate improving the shelf life of its products, particularly where rancidity remains a challenge whilst reducing saturated fats, and ensuring there is no compromise on quality and flavour.

Nairn’s met with Interface – The knowledge connection for business, to explore possible opportunities of developing partnerships with a University or research institute with the necessary expertise required to assist Nairn’s two-fold concerns. Interface introduced Nairn’s to various Scottish universities and research institutes before opting to partner with the James Hutton Institute. Nairn’s has commenced a collaborative research and development Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the James Hutton Institute.

UWI Technology Ltd was set up in 2009 to develop a patent pending elapsed time indicator (ETI) known as the UWI Label.  Inventor Pete Higgins came up with the idea of a smart label which would indicate how long any jar had been opened for and, therefore, whether or not the food inside had gone off.

Challenge

The company was looking to establish a collaborative project with an academic group to help advance the technology of the label and develop its commercial potential, ultimately providing a working demonstration of the UWI label for investors.

Solution

Through Interface, UWI was introduced to Heriot-Watt University, who had renowned expertise in micro-engineering and colour chemistry.

Besides having the huge potential to be an effective consumer food waste reduction solution, it was soon realised that the idea had significant global applications such as the pharmaceutical industry, medical science and aeronautical manufacturing.  The collaboration received Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher funding, followed by further funding support from the EDTC/Product Realisation Centre Scheme for expanding the work to meet additional commercial demand.

Benefits

Company update 2021

Please note that Interface administers the Innovation Voucher Scheme on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council. All funding applications are reviewed on a case by case basis by the Scottish Funding Council, guidelines can be found here.

Adrok Ltd is an award winning technology developer and provider of unique imaging and mapping solutions based on proprietary technology known as the Atomic Dielectric Resonance (ADR) Scanner.

The technology has been developed by Adrok’s founder and science director, Colin Stove, who has been successfully imaging ground targets from space for the UK government, the European space Agency, NASA and commercial organisations for over forty years.

This scanner has the ability to identify and image any substance down to molecular or atomic level. Adrok’s patented technology works by sending a narrow beam of energy into the ground using micro and radio waves and allows the depth penetration of this energy to be much greater than conventional methods.

There are two main markets where Adrok focuses its commercialisation efforts to apply its technology developments; Subsurface earth imaging (Geological) and Medical markets.

In the Geological market, ADR is applied to provide meaningful images of unique material classifications of the structure and the content of the earth’s subsurface (hydrocarbons, precious minerals, water).

The Business Challenge

Gordon Stove, Adrok managing director, said: “The contribution our technology can make is multifaceted. Very little of the Earth’s subsurface has been mapped to date and the potential of ADR technology could significantly improve this situation in terms of delivering dielectric readings of up to 80km below the surface, at a far faster and more economical rate than has previously been possible.”

The Earth’s crust is currently mapped through seismic technology, which measures the elastic property of rocks and is expensive in terms of time and equipment. The company sought academic expertise to develop a two dimensional ADR bore hole image to determine dielectric rock properties at depths that will help them understand the deeper tectonic processes that can cause earthquakes and other natural events.

The Solution
The firm was introduced to Dr Randell Stephenson, Reader in Geophysics at the University of Aberdeen through Interface – The knowledge connection for business, which helps partner some of the country’s most innovative companies with leading academics.

The geophysicists worked with Adrok to see whether the firm’s existing one-dimensional virtual borehole system could be developed to generate two-dimensional subsurface profile images.

After preliminary analyses funded through a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher, Dr Stephenson comments: “We need to conduct further analysis to determine the full resolution potential of ADR technology; however, if a two dimensional subsurface geological image can be achieved at depths of tens of kilometres, we will have a novel way of complementing existing information and potentially a far deeper understanding of the tectonic processes that produce the geology we see at the Earth’s surface.”

The approach represents a major advance in physics with a competitive advantage for additional industries including minerals, water, life sciences, civil engineering, defence, security and industrial quality control.

Edinburgh based 442 Design is a brand and interior design company that works with a wide range of companies including BAA, Tesco and PropInvest.  Specialist areas include: interior and graphic design, large format print graphics and signage; rebranding and interior design work in new premises and offices; with a focus on brand identity.

Challenge

The company was interested in expanding its focus from retail interior space to developing external promotions and point of sale showcase units for pedestrian precincts.  The new product design involved creating glass units to showcase products from nearby shops eg. clothes, books, accessories etc. and include touch pads to allow potential customers find out more about the products and encourage them into the stores.

Aimed at driving increased footfall and spend, the product is intended to be a highly engineered, large glass display case which is used for promotion. It will use solar energy to charge the display lighting and is intended for use in outdoor environments. The customer benefits include lower installation and power supply costs, reduced carbon emissions and clear environmental responsibility profile.

442 Design sought to power these small showcase units by solar energy, however to branch out into this, the company required an investigative study to provide recommendations on energy requirements, size, cost and design. For this they looked to find the relevant expertise within Scottish Universities.

Solution

The company was referred by The University of Edinburgh to Interface – The knowledge connection for business, which brokered links to Professor Tariq Muneer from the School of the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University.  The relationship developed and the feasibility study yielded beneficial results identifying initial target cities and clients. 

Interface also supported the company in identifying a source of finance to offset some of the costs – feasibility funding under the Scottish Government supported SEEKIT programme (EDTC) hosted by Edinburgh Napier University.

Professor Muneer calculated the energy and carbon emissions saved by lighting the pod using solar rather than conventional energy. This is crucial information for customers as corporate responsibility is increasingly important.

Professor Muneer comments: “The commissioning and completion of this project is a good demonstration of the three-way collaborative links – industry, the academic world and Interface, who acted as the matchmaker. Quite often research work carried out by universities resides only within the campuses or in academic journals. Through organisations such as Interface, application of the above research work can achieve its flowering.”

“The glass ‘buypod’ units have been hugely successful and this adaption of the product into being run on solar energy is a very exciting development” said Laurence Smith, Project Director at 442 Design. 442 Design is familiar within the proven components of the glass pod but unfamiliar with the potential capability of solar technology, where the links with Edinburgh Napier University have provided invaluable assistance. 

Looking ahead, Professor Muneer will compile a detailed report on light/lux levels at various locations, and will take lighting specification for the pod and advise on variances in hourly levels of solar energy required to light the pod throughout the year. This information is vital to customers to enable maximum impact throughout the year.  Corporate social responsibility is important to 442 Design, and energy and carbon emissions saved will be assessed.

The Benefits

Both bodies benefited through this new partnership.  Working with Scottish Enterprise innovation advisor, Jim Shields they are now identifying scope for further activity in prototype design  and are investigating their eligibility for R&D/innovation grants.

Find out more about 442 Design here.